Philadelphia Feby. 13th. 1781
Dear sir,
I did myself the honor yesterday to address a few lines to you by M. de Marbois, & the Counts Cha[r]lus & Dillon.1 A Vessel from Cadiz arrivd here the day before yesterday. The president receivd by this opportunity letters from Mr. Carmichael, the last dated the 24th of Decr.,2 none from Mr. Jay. The Combind fleets had seperated, the French under the Command of D’Estaign suppos’d to have saild for Brest, but no intelligence had been receivd of his arrival there, tho’ there had been full time to have heard it. The Empress Queen dead, the Dutch had acceded to the arm’d neutrality. The difficulty about the Navigation of the Mississippi remaind; It will I believe be remov’d on our part in a few days. Preparations were making in England to send more troops, suppos’d to be destin’d to fix a Post at Portsmouth, and a post for Charles Town. He hopes our Ally will frustrate their designs. I will endeavour to be more particular on this head by Col. Forrest who will leave us in a day or two.3 Intellience has been receiv’d, that two Ships of the line, & a frigate put out from Gardiners Bay to intercept two French Frigates from Boston to Newport; they were in the Storm about the 20th Ulto. The French frigates had got into Newport with little damage, one of the Brittish Ships returnd dismasted, & very Considerably damagd, the other beleivd to be cast away on Montuck point. The frigate returnd.
The mutiny which arose in part of the Jersey line has been properly setteld- two of them executed, which I hope will put a Stop to that dangerous Spirit.
Please to present my Comps. to yr Lady & to the Gentlemen of the Council. I will endeavour to comply with my promise to Messrs Brice, Stone, & Wright by this Post, by next, certainly.4
I am, with great esteem, Your Excellencys Mo Ob Servt,
Danl. Carroll
Receiver’s copy, Maryland State Papers (Red Books), Maryland Hall of Records Commission, Annapolis.
1 On February 12 Carroll had prepared brief letters of introduction to Lee for the marquis de Barbe Marbois and the comte de Dillon, which are in the Lee, Horsey and Carroll Papers deposit, MdHi. No letter has been found, however, introducing the comte de Charlus.
2 William Carmichael’s letters to the Committee for Foreign Affairs of November 28 and December 19 (not December 24), 1780, were read in Congress on February 12 and debated on February 14.JCC, 19:140, 146
3 Lt. Col. Uriah Forrest undoubtedly carried Carroll’s February 17 letter to Lee which continues the information contained in this letter.
4 Probably councillors James Brice, John Hoskins Stone, and Samuel Turbutt Wright. See Carroll to Lee, February 20, 1781, note 2.